Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Teatro Nacional Sucre Jazz Show

"So, I´m pretty sure March is Jazz Month in Quito. The Teatro Nacional Sucre has a variety of shows, many of which appear to be well worth the $1 ticket price."

This is the thought I had while looking at Jazz Month events in Quito at the Teatro Nacional Sucre. The thought was substantial enough, with a little help from a wonderful Canadian friend, to persuade me to get out on the town and check a show out. We ended up seeing three very distinct acts of music, not all strictly jazz. ¿But who´s counting?

Anyway, I found the first band to be very jazzy. They did the cyclical solo thing, from keys to bass, to sax, and finally drums. I think they´re cause was hurt by the smoke machine, though it was an experience that I´m not very acquainted to, and thus was nice.

The second group was entitled Afro American Music. In the states, I would have assumed this meant Muddy Waters, BB King, Leadbelly, or something of the like. Here in Ecuador, I took the title "American" to include South American as well. Thus, my expectation was that of some sort of fusion between Ecuadorian and African music, an expectation that had me fairly excited. Turns out, it was Muddy Waters, BB King, Leadbelly style blues music. The feller was a guy, who looked like Mike Leach, who had started a school in his native Argentina (Buenos Aires) that taught about the history of North American music in the south, Mississippi, Louisiana, etc...It was pretty nice, and the audience did their best to stay on beat with the clapping and whatnot. Their best was not good enought. ¿But we had fun, and that´s all that matters, no? They closed with a song sure to get the crowd hyped. Unfortunately, it was a song by a white guy, who I guess did his best (at first) to mimic African American music. This man, of course, is Elvis Prestley. We sang, as a crowd, "Shake, Rattle, and Roll." ¿Qué linda?

The last group was a national Big Band group, complete with horns of various types, a guitarrista, drummer, keyboardist, and many others, about 40 in total. Their music was fitting for a scene out of a mobster movie, where the waiter brings a special table just for me and my lady, and of course Joe Pesci and his lady (who, after minutes into the date, already can´t stand him...what a great friend, that Joe). It was really nice, with solos and singing and all.

Anyway, I found myself really enjoying the music, yet, not feeling lost in it, as sometimes happens in concerts. I think this might be partially attributed to the setting in the place, which was a group of chairs in which we sat and listened. Maybe I´m just a goofball, and can´t stop thinking about goofy things. With goofballery in mind, here´s a list of people that were playing instruments with the Big Band group. Doubly (maybe triply) talented, these folks.